oo1 ✦ let’s begin.

[richesse]

[ There’s a whisper through the murmur, more a breath of feeling than a fully formed thought. It’s sweet, and warm, and laughing—though it is not gentle, nor kind.

A voice follows the whisper, chased by darkness and shadows, the very suggestion of a nightmare. ]

Do you think we’re still dreaming? Or is this a living nightmare?

[ a hum, and another brush of teasing laughter, there and gone like a brief burst of memory, the last moment of summer that you can taste on your tongue before it’s irretrievably gone. ]

You’ve changed, haven’t you? We all have. What are you thinking, right now…? Who are you?

What are you?

Comments

[sculptedash]

I did? Oh- Hahahahaha Right.

[Wow. With nervous laughter like that. Was she trying to do that intentionally?]

...Whaaaaat was the question again?

[richesse]

[ …

when Lortel smiles, it isn’t as sharp as it could be. ]

How you’ve changed. What you’ve become.

[sculptedash]

Oh. Right.

[She thinks about this for a moment.]

...I think I've traded something for something else.

[richesse]

Do you always speak in riddles? [ she’s grinning, though not meanly. amusement thrums through the murmur. ]

[sculptedash]

Only when I'm hiding cryptic secrets about dark and ancient powers.

[richesse]

[ a sudden laugh, genuinely amused ]

Well, that’s fair enough, I suppose. How could I blame you for keeping your cards close to your chest?

[sculptedash]

These things always kind of have a way of coming out- And this place seems pretty keen on pulling it out anyways.

But I'd rather wait for the dramatic reveal than just let everything out right away.

[richesse]

I do like a good dramatic reveal.

[ … ]

I feel like I didn’t trade for very much. What a bad deal.

[sculptedash]

It really opens up the third act when you play it right.

[There's a little wave of curiosity that drifts along the murmur.]

You're saying you got the short stick here? How so?

[richesse]

I’m a mage. Or, I was. My mana is gone. What I’ve gotten in exchange is … mm. I suppose I’ll learn.

[sculptedash]

We're kind of in the same boat then. What I have is similar to what I could do. But it's definitely not the same.

[Considering she had just cemented herself as one of the strongest beings around. What she could do now was definitely lacking.]

[richesse]

Can you still fight? Assuming you could before.

[sculptedash]

I'm figuring it out.

It's not the same as where I was before, but I can use the shadows here to grab onto or rip things apart.

[richesse]

You can … manipulate shadows? As if they were physical?

My, isn’t that fascinating… would you be willing to show me sometime?

[sculptedash]

Yeah! They were more powerful in the dream, but I'm still getting used to them here.

I've been able to wrap myself in them. Make a solid wall, and grab things with it too.

When we run into each other next I'll show you.